Soviet spymaster remembers Che Guevara

Che described as the “embodiment of the mythical and literary types that have always struck a chord with the people.”

Forty five years after Che Guevara’s death
a senior former Soviet/Russian intelligence officer paid tribute to the
legendary revolutionary, disclosing some details of his life and death in an
exclusive interview with RIA Novosti.

Lt. Gen. Nikolai Leonov (Ret.), of the
Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), a predecessor to the KGB, who first
met Che long before the victory of the Cuban revolution, described him as an
“overwhelming figure” who belongs to all generations.

“He was the embodiment of the mythical and
literary types that have always struck a chord with the people,” said Leonov,
who retired as head of the KGB analytical directorate in August 1991.

“In such cases I think of Christ the Savior
and Don Quixote.”

Leonov said he was the first Russian to
meet Che, in 1956 in Mexico.

“He was just another guy. At the time we
were both average young men,” he said, adding that no one who had ever known
him could think of a case where Che Guevara was cruel.

Che was an absolutely independent,
“holistic” political figure, who “always acted in Cuba’s national interests, as
well as in the interests of all Latin American nations,” the retired general
said.

Guevara was greatly impressed by the Soviet
reaction to the victory of the Cuban revolution, in particular the readiness of
then-Soviet leaders Nikita Khrushchev and Alexei Kosygin to provide all-out
support and assistance.

Che had flown to Moscow not as a diplomat
but on a mission to sell 2 million tons of Cuban sugar that could not be sold
in the US.

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Waxing sentimental about the USSR, Leonov
noted that Che was amazed at how more than 260 million Soviet citizens were
able to live without having to worry about becoming rich at the expense of
others.

Che dreamed about Man free from the lust
for money.

Money is a horrible thing that sticks to
you like toxic glue, Leonov cited Che as saying.

Commenting on Che Guevara’s revolutionary
activity in Congo, Bolivia and other Latin American countries, Leonov said it
would be wrong to compare it to the export of colour revolutions practiced by
the Americans across the world.

“Che had very clear social goals - to make
life better for the people, for the majority.”

“None of those who are now organizing
colour revolutions cry at the sight of other people’s distress, but Che Guevara
cried,” Leonov said.

“That was why he went to Congo, Bolivia,
and Cuba.”

Che was killed on orders from the CIA,
Leonov claimed.

Although the order was formally issued by
Bolivian President Rene Barrientos, he acted on peremptory advice from the CIA
station chief in Bolivia who was in charge of the operation.

The US acted in great hurry to get rid of
Che, seeing him as “a colossal danger - greater than a nuclear bomb dropped on
US territory.”